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“Yeah, I'll meet you guys there,” I say, offering a quick nod.
Mom smiles, giving my arm a gentle squeeze before she and Dad head toward their own vehicle.
“Okay, honey, I love you.” She says, giving me one last small smile as she climbs into the front seat of their little sedan.
“I love you too.”
The black Mercedes glides around the roundabout, coming to a stop in front of the glass lobby doors. The valet driver hops out with a smile. Drew thanks him and passes him a ten-dollar bill. He grabs the handles of our luggage and starts loading our heavy bags into the trunk. I give one last glance over the waterfront estate, the morning sunlight casting a golden glow over the venue where we've spent the last several days. I take in its breathtaking charm one final time, silently thanking it for the amazing week—the week that shattered my walls and changed the course of my life.
“Ready, Cam?” Drew's voice cuts through the breeze. He’s standing by the open passenger door, waiting for me.
We drove to the airport in an aching silence. I leaned my head against the cold glass of the window, watching the sparkling lake grow smaller and smaller in the distance until it finally disappeared. I caught Drew glancing over at me more than once. Each time, he’d reach across the console to take my hand, giving my palm a soft, reassuring squeeze with his thumb. Before I'm truly ready for it, the rental car is returned, and we are navigating our way through the bustling, chaotic terminal. The airport announcements blare over the loudspeakers, the fluorescent lights are harsh and blinding above us as travelers rush past in a hurried blur. The entire world is in a hurry, but all I want is for time to stand still.
We stop right before the security line, the exact point where we have to split and go separate ways. My parents, ahead of us, stop and turn around and see our hesitation. My dad walks over, gently placing his hand on my shoulder.
“We will meet you at the gate, kiddo,” he says with a sympathetic smile. He looks over at Drew, giving him a soft nod goodbye.
We stand there in the center of the busy airport. Drew steps in close, ignoring the flow of travelers bumping into his shoulders. He pulls me into his arms, burying his face in the crook of my neck. He holds me so tight it leaves me breathless. I can hear the echo of his racing heart as his hands hold me steady against him.
“I’ll call you tonight, okay?” He whispers.
“Okay,” I choke out, my voice entirely broken.
He pulls back just enough to cup my cheeks in his hands, his eyes tracing every single detail of my face. It feels as though he’s trying to imprint me on his memory—to memorize me well enough to last the next six weeks. He presses a deep, lingering kiss to my forehead, and then to my lips. A kiss full of the promises he made to me last night. When he steps away, his eyes stay glued to mine until the sea of people finally swallows him up.
My feet carry me slowly to the gate, and I collapse into the empty seat next to my mom. I stare blankly out the windows, watching the planes on the tarmac. A single tear falls down my cheek, quickly followed by another. My mom wraps her arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close. I lean into her, letting her hold me together while the pain ripples through me. I stay wrapped in her arms for a few minutes while we sit quietly, until she breaks the silence.
“Hey, Honey?”
“Yeah?” I whisper, lifting my head from her shoulders to meet her gaze.
“About the rental car…” She pauses, a small smile tugs at her lips. “Ivy and I coordinated that.”
A laugh escapes me, and I wipe away my remaining tears. “I know, you guys aren't very discreet.”
“Ivy was in charge of booking his flights, so we made sure you two landed at the same time,” she adds.
“Were the missing wedding rings also planned?”
“Nope, that was definitely your brother's doing.”
We laugh as we reminisce over this past week until the gate agent makes a boarding announcement over the loudspeaker.
The plane is silent, save for the low hum of the jet engines. My mom is already fast asleep in the seat next to me, while my dad is focused on a crossword puzzle in the newspaper in front of him.
Feeling isolated in my own thoughts, I reach over and slide open the small oval window next to me. An endless blue sky stretches above a sea of white clouds drifting for miles.
An aching feeling washes over me, pressing heavily against my ribs. Drew is also on a plane right now. Maybe he is looking out a window just like this one, flying under the same sky—just headed in the opposite direction, while I head home.
I stand outside my apartment door, rummaging through the bottom of my bag for my keys while my parents give one last wave and drive away from the curb. Sliding the key into the lock, I push the door open into a space filled with total darkness. I flip on the light switch, and the sudden illumination brightens the familiar walls before me. Dropping my shoulders, I let out a heavy sigh of relief. I’m home.
I drag my luggage into my bedroom, deciding that I'll tackle unpacking later. Right now, I need a distraction. I head straight for the kitchen and open the fridge, grabbing a bottle of Chardonnay. The pop of the cork echoes loudly in the apartment. I pour myself a hefty glass, immediately taking a long sip and closing my eyes as the chilled alcohol makes its way down my throat.
Carrying the glass over to the living room, I sink onto the couch, taking in my surroundings in the crushing silence. I’ve always been happy being independent, always content with being alone. But right now, sitting here in the quiet, the emptiness feels entirely different. I don't want it anymore.
My gaze drifts to the far corner of the room, and a pang of guilt hits me as I realize I forgot to ask someone to water my favorite plant while I was gone. It lies limp and dead against the ceramic pot, mirroring the hollow ache I feel in my chest.
CHAPTER 20
